Safety tack-lifter.



D. H. COLES. SAFETYTAOK LIFTER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1914.

1,130,147. Patented Mar.2,1915;

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.44 azad THE NORRIS PETERS Co.. PHOTO-LH'HQ. WASHING roN, D. c.

DAVID H. COLES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY TACK-LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed July 17, 1914. Serial No. 851,444.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. CoLEs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Tack-Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improve ments in tools.

It pertains particularly to a safety tool for lifting or raising short, sharp-pointed tacks, nails or pins.

The safety tack lifter is designed and constructed for the purpose of protecting the hand, the fingers and especially the knuckles or joints of the fingers located between the metacarpal bone and the first phalanx, against injury.

WVhen some one lifts or raises tacks with ordinary tools a slight scratch or wound may result and cause even blood poisoning. F or this reason my novel lifter is provided with a safety device and also with means for increasing the leverage.

The novel safety device comprises essentially a curved shield extending from the handle downwardly and forming a rest for the index finger and thumb while the other fingers grip the handle. The shield has on its lower portion an inward curved extension which forms a rest when a tack is lifted and prevents damage to the floor, carpet or the like. This curved rest cooperates with the means for increasing the leverage at the front portion of the tool.

In order to render the invention entirely clear reference is had to the accompanying drawing on which:

Figure 1 represents in top plan view a safety tack lifter which embodies in desirable form the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Similar characters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

In the drawing a represents the handle which supports the tack lifter. Part of the shank Z) of the lifter passes through the handle in the usual manner for the purpose of securing it. The front portion of the shank b is divided forming an angular fianch 6 which extends in an upward direction as shown in Fig. 2. The fianch b spreads out and gradually decreases in thickness toward its outer end. It has a slit 0 whereby the fianch becomes dove-tail shaped forming two short lifting members 6 6 The slit 0 is angular and somewhat beveled oif as shown at 0 The slitted section of the tool is placed under the head of the tack when the same is to be lifted.

In order to increase the leverage of the tool its front portion, adjoining the upwardly bent operative part has formed on the lower surface a rounded off extension (Z. l/Vhen the operative part of the tool has been placed under the head of the tack extension (Z will rest on the floor or carpet and facilitate the lifting of the tack. This protruding portion d cooperates with the safety device of the tool to be described hereinafter.

At the inner end of the handle a protective shield e is provided which is of peculiar construction and has formed thereon a lower curved portion 6 The shield is secured at a right angle to the tool. It is curved and hollowed out forming a section of a sphere so as to provide a convenient rest for the fingers. The bottom portion 6 of the shield is curved inwardly as shown. This lower curved portion 6 comes in contact with the floor or carpet during the operation of the tool and as it is inwardly curved it rests fiat on the carpet and cannot damage same.

When a tack is to be lifted the slitted operative portion at the front end of the tool is shifted under the head of the tack and a slight pressure exerted in the downward direction whereby its protruding portion cl comes down upon the carpet or floor. When pressing down a little farther the curved portion 6 of the safety shield 6 reaches the carpet or floor thus cooperating with the protruding portion (Z at the bottom of the operative portion. It is evident that the operatives fingers or hands cannot be injured should the tool slip, because the shield protects the fingers when the slipping tool moves forward and the lower curved portion of the shield protects the fingers against injury on the floor or any object thereon. In this manner the inward curved portion 6 performs two functions, first itof said shank, and a curved shield Inounted on'the inner end of the handle and having an integral inwardly curved extension on lts bottom portion.

2. A safety tack lifter comprising'essenv tially a handle, a shank secured in the said V curved extension.

3. In a safety tack lifter having a han- Cophes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7

dle on one endand a tack lifter at the other endbentin an upward direction,'an extenslon-on the lower lnnerend surface on said llfter and a curved protective sh eld mounted on the inner end of the handle and hav- ,ing an integral inwardly cur ed extension N. Y., this 15th day.

on its'bottom portion.

Signed at New York, of July, 191

Witnesses:

CHARLOTTE C. KIRCHNER, I IDA E. ROLAND; 2; 7

Washington, D. G. g V I JDAVID f1. ooLEs, 

